A Teen In Need
by Songbird of Night
Summary: Alison is an abused and neglected fourteen year old girl who isn't following the path of life any better than her mother and her mother's abusive boyfriend. Is there any hope for her when she ends up pregnant and all of her friends abandon her?
1. Alison

**Claimer: I own this entire story and all of its characters!**

**Enjoy the first chapter! I apologize its so long, but I promise won't regret it!  
**

* * *

It was daybreak in Boston, Massachusetts. The beams of the rising sun ran into the closed dark red, velvet curtains of the largest window in Alison Former's bedroom. They set off a soft, crimson glow onto the caramel colored walls. Everything was still, except for Alison's thick comforter, which slowly rose and fell as she breathed soundlessly in her sleep. The red glowing on the walls grew more intense as the sun rose higher into the brightening sky. Outside, the freshly fallen snow on the ground sparked like a thin blanket of tiny crystals. Alison sighed in her sleep and pulled her comforter up to her chin. Everything was quiet. The slow "_plunk…plunk…_" of the leaking bathtub faucet and Alison's faint breathing were the only sounds being made — right up until—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The electric alarm clock on Alison's night stand struck six AM and went off with very loud, annoying beeps. The fourteen year old raised a tired arm and moved the sheer, white curtain of the canopy above her aside before smacking the 'snooze' button. To assure that she wouldn't fall back asleep, Alison sat up, flung her legs over the side of her waterbed, and picked the sand out of the corners of her eyes. Once she felt awake, Alison turned the alarm on her clock off, stood up, and yawned hugely while she stretched her muscles. Afterwards, she grabbed her red, satin Japanese kimono robe off of the hook on her bedroom door and put it on over her pajamas. She tied the robe's rope around her waist as she crossed the room to her largest window. She tied the curtains away from it, allowing the sun to flood the room with light.

Alison walked back across the room to her small bathroom that only contained a tub, a sink, a little cabinet, a circular window, and a room divider, which was placed at the head of the bathtub. Her reflection returned her small smile as she rinsed her face at the sink; it was one of Alison's favorite days of the week: Friday. But some of her happiness faded away when she touched a discolored spot on the right side of her forehead and pain surged through it. Then she realized that the purple bruise had formed in the exact same area where Vincent had struck her just last night.

Though no one could tell, Alison was an abused and neglected teenager. Her mother, Hayden, was a stripper at the local strip club downtown, but she made more than enough money to get by with. She rarely ever spoke to Alison, as if any chair Alison was sitting in were empty. Hayden's boyfriend, Vincent, who lived with Alison and Hayden, was a drunk and hated Alison. Nearly every night was the same routine: he would come home from 'work' (Vincent was a drug dealer and also made plenty of money), and get drunk, most of the time along with Hayden. But regardless he was wasted or not, Vincent would always take his anger and frustration out on Alison. Whenever he was in the house, Alison tended to either stay locked up in her room or go out with friends for the night.

After gently drying her face and putting her scented deodorant on, Alison went back to her double waterbed and began making it. She pulled the sheets and comforter, which were as white as the snow outside on the ground, over the wobbly mattress. Then she arranged the matching pillows at the head of the bed and straightened the curtains of the canopy hanging from the ceiling. Upon finishing, Alison picked up her black iPod Nano off of her glass topped nightstand, plugged the matching black earphones into her ears, and turned it on. She set it on shuffle, scrolled through her music, and selected 'Play All'. 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga immediately started playing.

"Rah, rah, ah, ah, ah! Roma, roma-ma! Gaga, ooh la la! Want your bad romance!"

Alison approached her vanity dresser and pulled open the shirt drawer. She flipped through the folded shirts and decided to wear her grey, off the shoulder sweater. She threw it onto the bed and closed the shirt drawer before pulling the jeans drawer open to get her deep pocketed, black skinny jeans. When she found them, Alison threw the pants on top of her shirt, pushed the drawer shut, took her robe off, and put her chosen outfit on her little body.

Alison sat down on the little stool in front of the large black vanity dresser. The mirror mimicked every stroke of her brush through her straight, brown hair. She changed the part in her hair to the left side in order to conceal the bruise and was pleased with the way it looked.

As soon as she set the brush down, a loud vibrating came from behind her. Alison jumped and gasped before realizing it was only her cell phone on the nightstand. Her heart still pounding against her ribs in fright, Alison got up from the stool, rushed over, and picked the phone up. The little screen on the front was presenting a picture of a blonde teenage girl. Her long, curly hair was pulled up into a high, messy bun and she had a smug look on her face. Beneath the picture, it read 'Britney' and in the corner was a small envelope, signifying that Alison had received a text message from one of her best friends.

She flipped her cell phone open and read the text.

"Good morning girly!" Alison pressed the reply button, typed up "Good morning to u too!", and sent it to Britney. After shutting the cell phone, she went back to her vanity and began picking her makeup for the day out of the neat assortment of colored makeup she had arranged herself. 'Bad Romance' finished playing and 'No Surprise' by Daughtry followed right after it. The phone vibrated again once she got everything she needed out of the arrangement (base, mascara, liquid eyeliner, grey eye shadow, and blush).

"Lol wut r u doing?" read the text.

"Putting my makeup on..lol" Alison replied as she started applying the makeup to her face.

"Same here! Lol :D send me a pic when yur done!" Britney sent back.

"As long as u send me one back! Lol" replied Alison.

"Of course! ;)" Alison finished with her makeup a few minutes later and carefully placed the canisters and brushes back into the midst of the neat arrangement. Then she opened her cell phone, took a picture of herself in the mirror, and sent it to Britney. By this time, 'Tik Tok' by Ke$ha was playing into Alison's ears.

While she waited for a reply, she perfected her light, thin eyebrows with her tweezers and tiny brush. Just as she was about to place both utensils back into the minute glass vase that contained them, Britney sent a picture back to her and a message that said, "LUVLY! I soo need to borrow that sweater! Lol! ;)" In Britney's picture, she was wearing a plain, navy shirt and blue jeans. Her makeup looked pretty, as usual, and her curls fell down past her chest. She was showing off her braces with a big smile.

"Thanx! :) yurs looks awesome as well! And girl, u can borrow any of my clothes anytime! Lol" Alison typed and sent back.

"Thanx! :D lol 3 hey do u need a ride to school?" Britney replied quickly.

"Yes lol plz..i hate the bus"

"K! I'll b there around 7:30ish"

"Sounds good, c u then!" Just as the Black Eyed Peas with 'Boom Boom Pow' began playing, Alison smiled, set her phone down, and decided that it was time to put on some jewelry to spice up her outfit. From her large blossom earring tree, dress frame necklace holder, and vintage iron ring hand, she selected her large hoop earrings, a stud earring, a black choker, and a winding thumb ring. She put on her elected jewelry and scented herself with her favorite perfume, 'Love Potion'. Alison stared at herself in the giant mirror. She was very satisfied with the way she looked and smiled faintly. Then, grabbing her cell phone and shoving it into her deep pocket, she got up and made a beeline for the long, walk-in closet. She went inside and got her slippers to keep her feet warm. After slipping them onto her feet, she unlocked her door (Alison kept it locked at all times when she was inside her room to prevent Vincent from barging in unexpectedly), opened it, and gave her room one last sweeping look, making sure everything was tidy, before closing it behind her.

'Boom Boom Pow' was still playing while Alison carefully descended the dark stairs that led into the living room. The front door's window was the only source of light. After reaching the bottom, Alison silently crossed through the living room to the equally dim kitchen. She was trying her best not to wake Hayden or Vincent, who were supposedly sleeping in the master bedroom to the left. So instead of turning on the overhead lights, she pushed the sliding glass door curtain to the side and opened the ones in front of the window above the sink. Sunlight streamed in and illuminated the room and allowed her to see clearly.

Alison looked through the pantry and grabbed a granola bar and then took the orange juice out of the fridge. She poured some into a little glass and sat down at the tiny dining room table. As quietly as she could, she opened the granola bar wrapper and started eating it. The first bite relieved the hunger in her no longer empty stomach. 'Sexy Chick' by David Guetta was now playing. Suddenly, her phone started vibrating once again. Alison quickly dug her it out of her pocket and glanced at the front screen. She gasped softly and her heart fluttered upon seeing the picture of a sixteen year old boy with blonde, overlong hair, the bluest eyes, and a perfect, dazzling smile. Underneath the picture it read 'Jake' and a little envelope was lingering in the corner, indicating Alison had received a text message from her boyfriend.

She quickly flipped her phone open and read the text.

"Hey sexy" Smiling widely, Alison pressed the reply button, typed "Yur the sexy one ;)", and sent it to Jake. After shutting the phone, she placed it in her lap and watched it like a hawk as she continued to eat her granola bar. In a few bites, Jake had written back.

"Not as sexy as you ;)" Alison smirked as she started feeling the desperate urge to see her boyfriend in person.

"Have u looked yur calendar? ;)" she replied.

"Yep ;) got any plans?"

"So far…only u and me tonite ;)"

"U know it ;) yur place?"

"Lets c how things work out…then we can decide ;)"

"Aiight :) soo what r u doin?"

"Finishing breakfast.. what about u?" As she typed, Alison popped the last piece of her granola bar into her mouth. The song changed again and this time it was Katy Perry with 'I Kissed a Girl'.

"Dying to c u.."

"Lol same here baby ;)"

"Again im srry i couldnt stay longer last night…"

"Its fine…u can make up for it tonight ;)"

"I got no prob with that ;)"

"Good to know…lol" By this time, Alison had finished drinking her orange juice and got up to place the glass in the sink and throw away her granola bar wrapper. 'Disturbia' by Rihanna was now playing.

"By the way, do u need a ride?" came Jake's reply as she started back up the stairs, which were now much easier to see.

"Nah britney's coming to get me in just a little bit" She entered her bedroom, stepped up into the bathroom, and brushed her teeth.

"Aiight just checking :)"

"Thanx for thinking of me tho" After finishing with her teeth, she walked back to her vanity, plucked a tube of lip-gloss from the jar that contained her collection, and spread a thick layer across her lips.

"Baby im always thinking of u" Flattered by Jake's text, Alison smiled and felt her heart warm at his words.

"Same here" she wrote back before going into her closet and exchanging her slippers for her black, suede boots. While she was at it, Alison grabbed her grey satchel bag, which was also suede, and her black pea coat. She threw her house key, lip-gloss, wallet, and a pack of Wintergreen gum into her bag. She was going to add her iPod to the mix when Britney arrived, but for now she kept it plugged into her ears.

"Disturbia," Rihanna sang the last chorus of the song, "it's like the darkness is light! Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight?" Alison put her pea coat on and buttoned it up. She transferred her cell phone and iPod to its pockets, slung her bag over her shoulder, and went back downstairs to wait for Britney to arrive.

Alison waited on the couch in front of the windows in the living room. '3' by Britney Spears was playing on her iPod.

"One, two, three! Not only you and me, got one eighty degrees and I'm caught in between!" Her cell phone started vibrating again. Alison wondered if it was Jake or Britney as she pulled it out of her pocket. She glanced at the screen and saw Jake's picture. His text read, "U sure u dont want to cancel with britney and let me take u? Im coming up on yur neighborhood…"

"Its ok, shes probably on her way. Thanx tho"

"*sigh* i wanna c u soo bad"

"Same here baby..but i will c u at school :)"

"Ok..c u in a bit then :)"

"C u :)" As soon as she sent this to Jake, a new message popped up on her screen but this time it was Britney.

"Hey i'll b there in a couple of mins! :)" said her text

"Alright :) c u in a few" Alison replied. She stared out the window and admired light layer of snow that was covering everything outside.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Britney and her mother pulled into Alison's driveway. She, Alison, jumped up off the couch, turned off her iPod, and stuck it into her bag. The freezing air engulfed her as she opened the front door and walked outside onto the little front porch. She carefully stepped down the three snow-covered steps and walked down the pathway to the idling Chevrolet Malibu. White exhaust poured from the pipe behind it. The windshield had been wiped clean of the snow. In front of it, Vincent's truck and Hayden's Nissan were parked side by side. Inside the Malibu, Britney was climbing into the backseat. She opened the door to let Alison inside.

"Hey!" said Britney, grinning cheerfully as Alison got into the vehicle. She, Britney, was wearing a white, weather-proof jacket with faux fur lining, matching boots, and blue jeans. Her black Scoop phone was clutched in her hand. Britney's mother, Mrs. Ayer, was sitting in the driver's seat, adjusting the settings of the heat and radio. 'Waking Up In Vegas' by Katy Perry started playing once she took her hand off of the knob.

"Hey!" Alison smiled back as she shut the door. Neither Alison nor Britney bothered buckling their seatbelts, as the school was just down the road. A low vibrating reached Alison's right ear. She looked over at Britney, who was reading a text she had just received.

"It's Lance," Britney stated when she noticed Alison watching her with curiosity. Lance Young was Britney's boyfriend. Lance was a freshman (unlike Jake, who was a sophomore.) Lance was also on the football and basketball teams while Britney was a cheerleader.

"Good morning, Alison," smiled Mrs. Ayer, turning around and watching cautiously while she backed the car up.

"Good morning," Alison returned her smile. "Thank you so much for giving me a ride, Mrs. Ayer. I hate walking to a bus stop, especially in this cold."

"It's no trouble at all," said Mrs. Ayer as they turned around and started out of the neighborhood. "I'm glad we could help. The school's just down the street from here, anyhow."

* * *

About ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the large public high school. Teens and adults of all sorts were everywhere. Many thanks to the cold temperature of the air, every breath of a student were visible as they talked and socialized. There were countless footprints in the snow on the ground surrounding the area. Alison stared at the building. It was one of the few places she felt safe, normal, and secure.

Britney opened the car door and got out.

"Bye, honey!" Mrs. Ayer called as Alison followed suit and shut the door behind her.

"Bye!" Britney called back. Alison smiled and waved at Mrs. Ayer before heading into the toasty building alongside Britney.

They pushed the entrance door open together and walked down the crowded hall side by side, chatting all the while.

"So what are you and Lance texting about?" asked Alison, glancing at Britney's phone, which was still in her hand.

"He wants to go out tonight," replied Britney contentedly, "so we're trying to figure out where to go."

"Cool," said Alison as they took a right turn. "Jake and I are going to hang out later as well."

"That's great!" said Britney. The two girls approached their lockers and turned the dials in the order of their combinations. Alison opened hers once she unlocked it. The interior was neat and decorative like her bedroom. All of her notebooks and textbooks were stacked up together in line. The opposite side of the door had floral, black and red wallpaper. A magnetic mirror was hanging on it and was level with Alison's face. There were also a few pictures pinned to it of her and Jake together and of her and her friends. On the wall of the locker was a pencil container with a couple of pencils sitting in it. Her other school supplies were kept in a clear bag next to her books

"Hey guys!" said two cheery voices. Alison and Britney looked up quickly. Erika Saunders and Riley Underwood, two more of their friends, stood there with their book bags slung over their shoulders and smiles on their faces. Erika had wavy, dirty blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders. Riley was black and had long, straight hair to match. Both of them had removed their coats. Erika was wearing her black, long-sleeved 'Twilight' shirt with the silhouette of a wolf in front of a full moon. Above the moon it read 'Team Jacob'. She was also wearing blue skinny jeans and black UGG boots. Dark eyeliner and eye shadow outlined her blue eyes. Riley was wearing a plaid, multicolor button up shirt and blue, boot cut jeans. She, too, had UGG boots on her feet, but they were light gray.

"Hey!" said Alison and Britney together as they took off their coats.

"Guess what!" said Riley. Before either Alison or Britney could reply, she continued.

"I just talked to Joey Pratt and his parents are leaving town for the weekend so he's going to have a house party!" Joey Pratt was a junior and a member of the yearbook club.

"And the entire school is invited!" chimed in Erika.

"Cool!" said Britney, pulling out her French textbook and a notebook out of her locker.

"That's awesome!" said Alison. "Joey lives down the street from me. Are you guys going?" They both nodded vigorously.

"He also said there's gonna be a lot of booze there," said Riley frowningly, "but we're too smart for that. We're only going for the fun of it!" The girls all agreed with smiles. At the beginning of the school year, they had vowed to one another that they would not drink nor have sex until they were old enough. But only Jake knew that Alison did indeed drink at parties…and had sex frequently. But the couple took their precautions; Alison was on birth control pills and Jake always used a condom.

"I'm going to go find Lance and see if he's going," said Britney, shutting her locker. "Oh, there he is now!" She waved at Lance, who was smiling and waving back.

"I'll see you guys in homeroom!" called Britney as she took off. Alison watched as Lance slipped his arm around Britney's waist and walked down the hall with her, but someone else caught her eye. Jake was leaning against the wall across the hall, smiling back at Alison. He seemed to be waiting for Erika and Riley to leave before he approached her.

"So are you going, Ali?" asked Riley, regaining Alison's attention.

"Huh?" Alison started, forcing her eyes from Jake and onto the two girls in front of her.

"Joey's party," restated Riley. "Are you going?"

"Oh yeah!" nodded Alison with a smile. "You know me!" Alison loved to party with her friends and Jake. It was one of her favorite weekend activities, besides being with Jake.

"Alright, cool!" said Riley. "Maybe we could all go shopping after school and pick out some new outfits for the party!"

"Yeah! That would be cool!" Alison nodded again. "Just let me know! But I got homeroom in a couple of minutes, so I'll see you guys there."

"Alright!" said Erika and Riley together as they started towards the stairs. Jake straightened up once they were out of sight and started walking up to Alison. After shoving her Spanish textbook and notebook into her bag and latching it, Alison shut her locker and turned around.

Jake was standing there with a lopsided smile on his face. He was wearing a black and gray striped button up shirt, ripped black jeans, and a pair of gray Converse sneakers. His blonde hair was combed to the left and his blue eyes stared into Alison's bright green.

"Hey," they said at the same time before their lips met. Warmth immediately filled Alison's heart as she gripped his arms. His hands moved up to her face and held it gently. She sighed and he attempted to brush the hair from her face, but his fingers accidently touched the bruise on her forehead. Alison winced and pulled away at the pain.

"What's wrong?" asked Jake worriedly. "Are you okay?" Alison looked down before replying in a whisper.

"It hurts there…he hit me last night…" She glanced up at him; Jake was pursing his lips in fury; it made him livid whenever Vincent hurt her in any way. He was the only one she had ever told of her abuse. No one else knew.

Jake kissed the discolored spot on her forehead as softly as he could and slipped his hand into Alison's.

"I swear to God," he whispered into her ear, "as soon as I'm old enough, I'm going to get a job and we can rent an apartment together. Then we will be free from everything…Vincent…your mom…my parents…" Jake's father was also a drug addict and dealer, and ignored his son's very existence. His mother was somewhere, probably living on the streets.

"That day can't come sooner," Alison whispered back sadly.

"But it will come," reassured Jake, "I promise." Alison nodded and smiled. They straightened up, their hands still entwined, as the bell suddenly rang out across the halls. Everyone started hurrying into their classrooms together.

"Come on," smiled Jake. "I'll walk you to class." Alison smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.

"Did you hear about Joey's party on Saturday?" she asked him, swinging their entwined hands back and forth as they began walking towards the stairs.

"Oh yeah!" replied Jake, his mood immediately brightening. "He says it's going to be awesome, not to mention _huge_. Are you going?" They reached the stairs and began climbing them.

"Of course!" said Alison. "The girls want to go shopping after school for outfits. You're going to the party, right?"

"Definitely," said Jake with a smile. "But what about tonight, though? What time are you coming home?" They reached the top of the stairs and were approaching the homeroom classroom.

"We'll talk about this at break because I'm still not completely sure if we're going shopping or not," said Alison once they were at the homeroom door.

"Alright," said Jake, kissing her once again. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Alright," smiled Alison. As Jake turned and started down the hall, she opened the classroom door and walked inside.

* * *

"Class dismissed," said Mr. Hartman, the Algebra teacher, as the bell rang out, signaling the end of second period. Everyone was gathering their things and leaving the classroom, chatting all the while. It was now break. Alison, Erika, Britney, and Riley all left the classroom together.

"Okay, so let's all call our moms and see if we can go shopping," said Britney cheerfully. Alison opened her mouth to speak, but Erika cut her off as she pulled her green, LG Neon out of her pocket.

"Who's going to drive us to the mall and back?"

"I'll ask my mom if she can," replied Britney when they reached the stairs.

"Alright, hold on," said Erika, placing her phone to her ear. She plugged up the other with her finger, due to the noise surrounding her. Riley was doing the same.

"When you guys get all this figured out, come find me," said Alison, stepping in front of them. "I'm going to get my books."

"Aren't you going to call your mom and ask her if you can go?" asked Britney, her brow furrowed.

"She doesn't care," shrugged Alison. "It's fine."

"Okay," said Britney, also placing her phone to her ear. "I'll let you know." Alison nodded and walked down the rest of the stairs. She took a left and found Jake standing at her locker, waiting patiently for her. Alison approached him, putting on a smile as she walked.

"Hey," he smiled back. "Any details about today yet?"

"Not yet," replied Alison, spinning the dial on her locker, "but they're figuring it out."

"Alright," said Jake. "So…I was thinking if you guys did go shopping, maybe I could just drive you to the mall and hang out with you while you get an outfit. Then when you're done, we could either grab dinner or head back to your house and order pizza, maybe even rent a movie or something."

"Sounds great!" said Alison, who was swapping her Algebra textbook and notebook for her Literature books. "I would love that! You could even spend the night if you want because we have Joey's party the very next night…" She added quietly with a seductive smile.

"This is turning out to be an awesome weekend," remarked Jake, smirking as he flashed his eyebrows at her. Alison laughed after shutting her locker.

"Totally," she agreed, closing her eyes as he planted a quick kiss on her lips. They smiled at each other once they broke apart. Just then, Britney came up to them with a delighted smile on her face.

"Hey! My mom said that she'd take us shopping right after school," she blurted out, "Riley and Erika can both go, too!"

"That's great!" exclaimed Alison, looking back at Jake. "Jake is going to drive me to the mall behind you guys and after I get an outfit, we're going to hang out the rest of the night at my house."

"Aww!" said Britney. "That's great! Lance and I are going to the movies after I get back."

"Cool!" said Alison. "What are you guys going to see?"

"'The Fourth Kind'," replied Britney.

"Good pick," stated Alison. "We saw that one," She gestured to Jake and herself, "and it was really good."

"I can't wait!" said Britney excitedly before crossing in front of the couple to her locker.

"You'll like it," Alison assured her with a smile. Britney returned it as she spun the dial on her locker to unlock it.

* * *

The moment the wall clock in Mr. Carlson's social studies classroom struck 3:00, the bell rang out across the school. Every student in the classroom jumped up and immediately threw their belongings into their bags before leaving the classroom. Alison and her friends walked together to their lockers, returned their social studies textbooks and notebooks to them, and began pulling their coats on. Jake approached them, his keys in hand and coat on, just after Alison finished reapplying lip-gloss to her lips.

"Hello, ladies," he said jokingly before turning to Alison. "You ready, babe?"

"If you are," smiled Alison, shutting her locker and facing him.

"Alright," Jake smiled back and took her hand in his. "Let's go!"

"We'll follow you guys!" called Alison to the girls as she and Jake started towards the school doors.

"See you there!" she heard them call back. Jake pushed the door open for her and they walked out, side by side. A few groups of teens were chatting together underneath the shelter. After Alison and Jake came out from underneath it, they had to squint against the bright afternoon sun and the cold air. The parking lot hardly had any snow on the ground. The couple started off of the sidewalk when a Chevrolet Malibu drove up to the doors. Alison glanced at the person driving and realized it was Mrs. Ayer.

"Oh, it's Mrs. Ayer," she said to Jake, steering him towards Mrs. Ayer's car. "I'm going to let her know that I'm riding with you."

"Okay," said Jake. Mrs. Ayer rolled down her window upon seeing the couple coming forward.

"Hey, Mrs. Ayer!" said Alison. "I wanted to let you know that Jake is going to drive me to the mall and just hang out with us there."

"Alright," said Mrs. Ayer with a nod of approval. "We'll see you there, then."

"Bye," said Alison and Jake, holding up their hands in salute before turning around and heading to Jake's little black Buick. When they reached it, Alison waited in front of the passenger's door as Jake unlocked the driver's door. He opened it and, with a push of a button, unlocked the passenger's door for Alison. She got in and put her bag down on the floor at her feet. As soon as she straightened up, Jake leaned over quickly and pressed his lips to hers.

"Alone at last," he mumbled against them. At first, Alison became absorbed in the moment, but pushed him away gently as his hands started tracing her body.

"Let's save it for later," she breathed with a smile.

"Fine," Jake smiled back. He started the car, backed out of the parking space, and drove around the row of cars. Britney, Erika, and Riley were all getting into the back seat of Mrs. Ayer's car by the time they stopped behind them. Once they slammed the door shut, they started driving with Alison and Jake right behind them.

* * *

Around five minutes later, the two cars pulled into the huge parking lot of the mall. It was quickly filling with cars, so they roamed around until finally finding a space to park in. As Jake turned the car off, Alison picked her bag up off the floor and got out of the car. He followed suit and the couple approached the girls, who were getting out of Mrs. Ayer's car. Once they shut all the doors, Mrs. Ayer locked the car and the group started toward the mall together.

Jake rushed forward when they reached the entrance and opened it for the girls.

"Thanks," they said to him as they walked inside. Many mixed smells of food met their noses immediately. As always, the food court was packed with people of all ages. Children and their parents were riding the carousel in front of the humungous glass window overlooking the parking lot. Numerous others were buying food at the many different outlets aligning the walls and chilling out at the tables spread about in the center of the court. It was quite loud with the carousel music playing, and everyone chattering at once.

"I'm going to chill out here while you guys look around," said Mrs. Ayer as she took a seat at one of the many tables. "Do you want to leave your coats here?"

"Sure!" They took their coats off and piled them on the chair opposite Mrs. Ayer. Jake took Alison's hand as the group started across the court to the shops.

"We'll be back in a little bit!" Britney called to her mother. They continued walking past the crowds towards the heart of the store.

"Where do you guys want to go?" Britney asked them.

"I want to check out Rave," replied Erika before anyone else had a chance to speak.

"Me too!" Riley and Alison agreed.

"OK, let's go!" The group took a left and walked down the busy and noisy corridor until they reached the Rave store.

"Hi! Welcome to Rave!" called a girl at the counter. They smiled in return and split up in look of outfits. Jake followed Alison around and helped her flip through different racks of clothing.

"So are there any movies you want to see?" he asked her.

"Um…" Alison thought for a second. "Oh, 'Drag Me to Hell' looks really good!"

"Alright, cool! We'll get that one then!" smiled Jake. He held up a black, long-sleeved shirt that was slit down the back.

"What do you think about this one?" he asked hopefully.

"Eh," frowned Alison, "It's a little formal for a house party…"

"Yeah, you're right," said Jake, putting it back on the rack.

"What about this?" Alison showed him a dark red, turtleneck sweater.

"Well…" His brow knit together as he observed the shirt.

"No?" Alison asked him, looking for a real opinion. Jake gave her a face that clearly stated that he did not prefer the shirt.

"Alright then…" Just as she placed the sweater back on the rack, Britney came up to them with a shirt in hand.

"Hey, check out this sweater I found!" It was long-sleeved, aqua blue, and looked comfy.

"I like it!" said Alison approvingly. "It looks very 'you', particularly the color!"

"Thanks!" grinned Britney. "I'm going to go try it on!"

"Alright!" called Alison as Britney started walking towards the dressing rooms. "I'll be right there!" She turned back to Jake and found him holding up a white, button-down shirt.

"Ooh! I like that!" said Alison, taking it from Jake and examining it. "It's also got a good price!"

"Well, try it on!" smiled Jake, "And then show me how it looks!" He gave her a little push towards the dressing rooms.

"Alright! I'm going!" she giggled before obeying him. He quickly followed her and they met Riley at the entrance.

"Hey! What did you find?" asked Riley, eyeing the shirt. Alison held it up at once.

"Jake picked it out," she smiled, motioning the shirt towards him. "What about you?" Riley showed her a shimmering, grey sweater, similar to the one Alison was wearing; its sleeves were not to fall from the wearer's shoulders.

"Pretty!" Alison complimented it. A moment later, Britney stepped out of the dressing stall in front of them, clad in the blue sweater.

"What do you think?" she asked them excitedly.

"It's great!" the girls said together. "Definitely a keeper!" With one last grin, Britney retreated into the stall, changed back into her original shirt, and went off to pay for the sweater. Then it was Riley's turn to try on her own shirt while Jake and Alison waited outside. After a few seconds, Jake noticed Alison's visible bra straps and plucked at one of them.

"Ow!" she exclaimed with a wince. "What was that for?"

"Sorry!" he apologized. "I didn't mean to pull it that hard…" He kissed her shoulder sincerely before whispering into her ear, "But I see you're wearing my one of my favorites for tonight…" Alison gave him a seductive smile, knowing that he loved it when she wore either her red or black bra. Then Erika finally arrived at her side with a brown, short-sleeved turtleneck.

"Oh wow!" said Alison upon noticing the shirt. "That'll look really nice on you!"

"Thanks!" said Erika appreciatively. "Yours is cute, too! You should wear some destroyed blue jeans, a brown belt, and some boots with it! That would be so awesome!"

"Thanks!" said Alison, trying to memorize Erika's list. "I'll keep that in mind!" Riley came out of the stall and struck a pose in order to show off her sweater.

"See?" laughed Erika. "You look fabulous! Just don't forget to wear your black pants and flats tomorrow night!"

"I won't!" giggled Riley. "What do you think, Ali?"

"I think it looks great!" smiled Alison. "And Erika's totally right! Black pants and a pair of flats will go very well with it!"

"Thanks!" Riley beamed as she started back into the stall. "I'll hurry and change so you can try yours on!"

"Alright!" She shut the door and was out in a minute with the sweater on its hanger.

"It's all yours!" Alison stepped forward, went inside, and closed the door. After pulling her shirt off and replacing it with the button-down, she went out and presented herself to Jake and Erika.

"Too cute!" smiled Erika, clapping her hands together. "Perfect for a party!"

"I agree!" said Jake with a laugh.

"Thanks!" said Alison deferentially. "I'll be right out!" She changed again and then paid for the shirt at the counter. Once the cashier gave her the bag that contained the shirt and her change, the group all headed out of the store together.

"Hey Jake," Britney called to him, "Would it be alright with you if you drove all of us to the party tomorrow? Our parents don't know about it and, of course, none of us have our licenses."

"Sure," he replied. "Do you guys have a curfew?"

"Yes, 11. If that's too early for you, we can find someone else to take us home."

"Alright, that'll work…I usually stay out pretty late."

"OK, cool!" said Britney. "So we'll all gather at my place, I'll tell my mom we're going out to chill, then we can get going, have fun, and be back by 11!"

"Sounds great!" smiled Jake. He turned to Alison. "You ready to go?"

"Yep!" She took his hand and smiled.

"Alright!" Jake returned it. "We'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye!" called the girls. Alison waved at them and continued walking with Jake towards the food court. They got their coats from Mrs. Ayer before taking off for the local video rental store.

* * *

Around thirty minutes later, the couple pulled up in Alison's driveway next to her mother's car. Alison sighed, thankful that Vincent was not home. She got out of the car with both the Rave bag and her school bag, which contained the DVD as well as everything else, slung over her shoulder. There were now only a few patches of snow that had not melted in the sun. Jake met Alison at the start of the pathway and took her hand as they began walking.

When they reached the door, she took her key out of her bag, unlocked it, and then opened it. Inside, all of the lights were off except for the kitchens, where the clinking of dishes could be heard; Alison guessed Hayden was silently washing them. She turned on the living room lights and placed the DVD on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

"I'll be right back," she said to Jake, who took a seat on the sofa. "I gotta put this stuff upstairs." She climbed up to her bedroom and entered. The room was just as she had left it that morning. Alison hung both bags on a hook on the back of her door before descending the stairs and sitting next to Jake.

"Are you hungry at all?" Jake asked as he put his arm around her.

"Yeah, kinda," replied Alison. "What about you?"

"I'm alright, but if you want to order pizza now, that's fine with me."

"OK…just get a medium pepperoni." Jake pulled out his cell phone and called a pizza joint. Meanwhile, Hayden came in with her keys in hand. She had a pretty face with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that fell a little past her shoulders. She had body of a model, which bought her the job at the strip club. Hayden crossed the room without even glancing at the couple on the sofa and left the house for work. Alison smiled; she and Jake were now alone and had all the privacy they could want.

"…alright, thanks." Jake hung up as soon as Hayden started her car outside. "They're on their way."

"Alright," said Alison, absentmindedly combing her fingers through his hair.

"So…now what?" asked Jake with a note of hopefulness in his voice.

"It's a little early," a

* * *

nswered Alison, "but…if you want to make out, that's fine with me." She did not have to tell him twice; Jake immediately came forward and pressed his lips to hers. They both sighed as their hands began tracing each other's bodies. All the while keeping their lips locked together, Alison slowly climbed into his lap.

* * *

There was a knock on the door around thirty minutes later, causing Alison and Jake to break apart and both look at the door in surprise. Alison was now underneath Jake as she lay along the sofa.

"I'll get it," said Jake quickly, heaving himself off of her and hastening to the door. Alison sat up and watched him open it.

"Thanks…" She heard him say to the delivery guy as he exchanged the pizza for a few dollar bills. Then he shut the door and placed the box on the coffee table.

"I'm going to get us some drinks," said Alison, throwing her legs off the side of the couch and standing up. She went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"What do you want?" She called to Jake. "I've got…Bud Light…"

"That's fine!" He replied, so she took two beers from the box and went back into the living room. She handed him one and placed her own on the coffee table before picking up the DVD and putting it in the player. The loud crack of Jake opening his beer rang out as she turned the television on. Then she sat down next to him on the sofa and opened hers. The cold liquid quenched her thirst immediately as she took the first sip. The previews started the moment she set the can down and opened the pizza box. The heat rising off of the pizza brought forth its tremendous scent while Alison and Jake pulled two slices out of the circle and took a bite.

* * *

By the time the movie was almost halfway through, Alison and Jake had eaten all but three slices of pizza and both of them had finished their beers. They were still sitting on the couch with their heads resting upon each other. Upon finishing her drink, Alison felt rather buzzed and at one point started stroking Jake's legs absentmindedly as they watched. The next minute, they were intensely making out once again. Then after another minute, Jake scooped Alison up into his arms and stood up, all the while their lips stayed connected and Alison began feeling his face fervently. Jake hastily carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! The drama shall begin to flow from the next chapter on, so stay tuned!**


	2. The Party

**Claimer: I own this entire story and all of its characters!**

**Enjoy the second chapter!  
**

* * *

Alison awoke late the next morning in her bed. She realized Jake's arms were lovingly wrapped around her and that she wasn't wearing a single article of clothing underneath her warm sheets. The blinding sun was coming in through the windows and she could hear the steady chirping of birds outside. She moaned softly as she rolled over onto her back and rubbed the sand from her eyes. The wavy mattress moved along with her, causing Jake to awaken as well. He sighed and opened his eyes to find Alison next to him. They smiled at each other warmly.

"Good morning, babe," yawned Jake, stretching himself underneath the sheets. His hair was dreadfully tousled and he, too, did not have any clothes on.

"Good morning," replied Alison. She snuggled closer to him and began massaging his arms, which were still entwined around her.

"Oh…you sure did make up for Thursday night," she laughed jokingly.

"I thought so, too," chuckled Jake. He stroked her tangled hair for a little while and then leaned over and kissed her head. Alison grinned as she faced him and put her lips onto his. The couple made out there in silence for a minute until a muffled vibration came from the floor. Alison realized it was her cell phone in the pocket of her jeans that were sprawled on the floor next to the bed, along with the rest of her and Jake's clothes. She leaned over, pulled it out, and examined the front screen. It was an odd number with an unknown ID: 803-533-0967.

"Huh…" said Alison confusedly, showing the screen to Jake. "It's probably just a wrong number." With that, she turned the phone off and placed it on her nightstand. Then she turned back to Jake and, with a swift seductive smile, she snaked her arms around his neck and began kissing him again.

* * *

Later that evening around 7:45, Alison was nearly ready for the party, while Jake waited patiently for her. He was sitting on the end of the bed, watching Alison brush mascara onto her eyelashes in front of the vanity's mirror. She had taken Erika's advice and was wearing her shirt that she had bought yesterday underneath her black pea coat, destroyed jeans, a brown belt, and a pair of brown boots. Half of her hair was pulled back into a little ponytail while the other half fell down to her shoulders. Jake was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and his jeans. Once she finished with her mascara, she screwed the brush back into the tube and set it back into the makeup assortment. Then she walked over towards Jake, who stood up.

"How do I look?" Alison asked him, twirling around.

"So damn gorgeous!" smiled Jake brightly.

"Thank you!" Alison returned his smile and took his hand as they strode out of her bedroom. She turned the light off, shut the door behind them, and descended the stairs. Jake opened the front door and the couple left the empty house. It was a beautifully clear night, but freezing cold. The stars twinkled down upon everything and the luminous, crescent moon stood out among them. There was no snow on the ground for once. Jake and Alison's breath was visible as they walked down the pathway towards Jakes car.

"Why don't you call Britney and tell her we're on the way?" suggested Jake once they got in.

"Sure," said Alison. As Jake started the car and backed out of the driveway, she took her cell phone out of her pocket, pressed 2 and 'Talk', and then placed the phone to her ear. It rang twice before Britney answered.

"Hey!" said Britney's excited voice.

"Hey!" said Alison as Jake started driving down the street. "We're on the way, so we'll be there in around five minutes."

"Alright!" said Britney. "We'll be waiting!"

"OK! See you in a few!"

"Bye!" Alison closed her cell phone and slipped it back into her pocket.

"They're all there and ready," she told Jake.

"Alright, cool," he replied. They drove on in silence until they passed Joey's house on the left.

"Oh wow!" remarked Alison in surprise. Numerous cars were parked out in front of the lit up house. Unsurprisingly, the fair beat of music could be heard.

"Looks like we're in for a night of fun!" Jake smiled at Alison as they continued driving. She returned it and in a matter of minutes, they pulled up into Britney's driveway. The trio of girls immediately came out of the house, clad in heavy coats. Alison guessed they were wearing their outfits underneath them. The girls rushed up to the car delightedly and piled into the backseat.

"Hey guys!" they said. "Thanks so much for the ride!"

"No problem!" said Jake, transferring the car from park to drive and taking off.

"We went by Joey's place on our way here," stated Alison, swiveling around in her seat, "and there were a ton of cars in both the driveway and the yard!"

"Awesome!" the girls said together. They continued to chat as Jake drove on until they parked in Joey's yard. They took their coats off and left them in the car, seeing that they wouldn't need them inside. Britney was wearing her blue sweater, a black skirt, and a pair of black Converse sneakers. Erica had her brown turtleneck on with dark skinny jeans and boots. Riley was sporting her new grey sweater and, of course, black pants and flats.

"By the way, Jake," said Britney as she got out of the car, "I talked to Lance and he said he would take us home at 11."

"Alright, cool," smiled Jake. He left the car unlocked so that they could get their coats later. Alison immediately took his arm as the group quickly approached the front steps and went inside. It was quite crowded and very warm inside. Music blared in their ears and people everywhere were dancing and conversing, all the while drinking from red plastic cups. Joey spotted them among the crowd and came forward. He was wearing a white T-shirt, a matching backwards cap, and jeans. He, too, had a red cup in his hand.

"Hey guys!" Joey exclaimed over all of the noise. "It's great to see you!" He and Jake fist pumped one another.

"Yeah, we're glad we could make it!" Jake replied, observing the crazy room. Alison looked up at him and practically shouted, "I'll see you in a little bit! I'm going to go sit with my girls!"

"Alright!" said Jake, giving her a quick kiss, "And I'm going to go hang with my guys!" They went their separate ways. Alison, Britney, Riley, and Erica all sat down on a sofa and started chatting away.

"How was the movie last night?" Alison asked Britney in a loud voice. "Did you like it?"

"Oh, yes!" replied Britney with a nod. "It was awesome, but really creepy! I was lying awake in my bed last night, just staring at my window!" As the girls laughed, Eric Gibson, a good friend of Joey's, came forward with a few red cups.

"Hello ladies!" he said with a smile. "Thirsty?" Eric held the cups out in front of them. Alison noticed they were filled to the brim with beer.

"No, thanks!" The girls replied in chorus, shaking their heads.

"You sure?" asked Eric skeptically.

"Yes!" replied the group, "We don't drink!"

"Alright then!" shrugged Eric. "Just checking! If you change your minds, we've got plenty in the kitchen!" The girls raised their eyebrows as he started walking away.

"Jeeze…" said Erika, shifting in her seat uneasily. The girls laughed again. It was quite hot in the room. To remedy this, Alison unbuttoned the bottom buttons of her shirt and tied it together, exposing her bellybutton.

"So what did you and Jake do last night?" asked Britney curiously.

"Oh! Um, well we ordered pizza and watched a movie," answered Alison tensely.

"Cool!" was all could say Britney before Alison's pocket vibrated. She quickly dug her cell phone out and looked at the screen. It read 803-533-0967. Alison immediately recognized the number; it was the same person who had called her that morning.

"Who's that?" asked Riley inquisitively.

"I have no idea!" replied Alison. "They tried to call me earlier today!" Regardless, she opened the phone and put it to her ear.

"Hey, I don't know who you are, but you have the wrong number!" she said into it before shutting the phone again. As soon as she put it back into her pocket, the song changed to 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' by Cascada.

"Oh my God!" they all cried together excitedly. "I love this song! C'mon! Let's dance!" The girls quickly got to their feet and joined the tight group of teens who were jumping and dancing around. Jake was among them and immediately pulled Alison into the multitude. Unsurprisingly, he had a red cup in his hand just like every other person in the room. Everyone was shaking, jumping, and hollering all at once. The deafening music continued to blare in their ears as they danced the hours away.

* * *

Finally, 11 started to creep upon them, so Britney pulled Alison aside.

"Hey, it's almost 11," Britney shouted over the racket. "We're going to head out!"

"Alright!" replied Alison, hugging her. "I'll see you at school!"

"Bye!" Alison watched as Britney gathered Erika, Riley, and Lance and left the house. She smiled and made her way into the kitchen. Eric was there, filling more cups, but with difficulty.

"Hey," he said after noticing her. "Changed your mind?"

"Yeah," replied Alison. Eric handed her one of the cups.

"There you go!"

"Thanks!" Alison walked out, sipping her beer all the while. She found Jake and approached him. He had his fourth cup clutched in his hand and he was swaying slightly.

"Hey!" she said in a loud voice. "Britney just left with Lance, Erika, and Riley!"

"Oh, ok!" replied Jake as the song changed. "You want to dance?"

"Sure!" They came over to the group and started dancing seductively with each other. At this point, everyone was very tipsy, laughing hysterically and staggering around. Alison began to gulp her beer down as she and Jake danced. She could feel the alcohol start to take her mind over.

By the end of the song, Alison and Jake had both drained their cups. They went back into the kitchen to refill them and then continued dancing.

"I like the way you tied your shirt up like that!" hollered Jake, who was now having trouble staying on his feet. "It's totally sexy!"

"If you think that's sexy, watch this!" replied Alison tipsily. She set her beer down and started unbuttoning the top of her shirt as she danced.

"Whoo! There you go, babe!" said Jake, watching her excitedly. Alison stopped once her black bra was completely visible. Then she took the elastic hair tie out of her hair and shook her head around to the music. She continued to drink her beer, enjoying the feeling of the alcohol's effects. Soon enough, it was empty again and the room looked quite hazy as she stumbled into the kitchen for another refill.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Alison had had only two more beers before finally forcing herself to stop. She was resting on the couch while Jake attempted to converse with a few of his other friends. Everyone was drunk, tottering around and laughing like maniacs as they danced to the ongoing music. Alison absentmindedly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and was shocked to see that it was 1:30 in the morning. She looked up at Jake and realized he was totally wasted and could not drive home in his state. Alison could not walk home and leave him here, so she decided that she would just drive them back to her house. How hard could it be, as they only live a couple blocks down?

She got to her feet, nearly falling over as she did. She regained balance and stumbled up to Jake.

"Hey, babe!" he called once she reached him. "I haven't seen you in a while!" Jake leaned over, making his lips crash into hers. She pushed him away tactlessly and could taste the residue of beer on her lips.

"None of that," muttered Alison. "It's time to go." She clumsily searched his jean's pockets for his car keys. Once she found them, Alison took the cup from Jake's hand and tossed it into the nearest trash can.

"Hey! That's mine!" exclaimed Jake childishly.

"Not anymore!" said Alison, taking hold of his arm and steering him towards the front door. "It's time to go!" She turned back to everyone in the room.

"Bye! We're going now!" she called. She couldn't make out their replies as she opened the door and shut it behind her. The chilly night air felt divine against her warm skin. She led Jake down the stairs as carefully as she could. While they crossed the lawn to his car, Alison fumbled with the keys until she found the one for the car. Then she guided Jake around the car to the passenger side. He was burbling to himself as she opened the door and pushed him into the seat. After shutting his door, she stumbled around the front of the car to the driver's side.

Alison got in the car and started it up. She had absolutely no experience in driving, so she tried to recall what Jake did whenever they went somewhere together. She tried pulling the lever behind the steering wheel, but it wouldn't budge.

"Jake!" she groaned at him. "How do you move this lever thingy?" He stopped babbling, but couldn't seem to focus on her.

"W-what thingy?" he asked her groggily.

"This!" pointed Alison. Jake stared at it with difficulty.

"Push the brake…and then pull it down," he answered after a few seconds of thought. Alison set her foot on the brake, forced it to the floor, and then jerked the handle down until it fell upon drive. She lifted her foot off of the brake and shifted it over to the gas pedal. She pushed it slightly, making the vehicle suddenly jolt forward. Alison immediately stopped and tried again. She slowly brought the car forward and steered out of Joey's yard. Jake began mumbling things to himself once again as Alison cautiously went out into the road and took a right. Alison swerved slightly while she drove down the road. A minute later, they arrived at her unlit house. Instead of pulling into the driveway and risking Hayden and Vincent's cars, Alison came to a complete stop in the front yard.

She put the car into park and took the keys out before opening the door and stepping out. Despite her effort, Alison tripped over her own feet and fell onto the damp grass. She and Jake both laughed out loud as she pulled herself up and shut the door. Then she staggered around the car to Jake's door, opened it, and dragged him from his seat.

"Where are we?" he asked her stupidly as she lead him up onto the porch.

"My house," replied Alison, taking her own key out of her pocket and sticking it into the hole.

"Really?" asked Jake with a sudden sway. "It doesn't look like it…" Alison turned the key and after hearing the click, she opened the door and pulled Jake inside with her. Jake leaned against the wall for support as she shut the door.

"It's…dark…" he stated nonsensically.

"Shhhh!" Alison shushed him harshly. She put her hand over his mouth and led him up the stairs. On the way up, the couple tripped at least twice before finally reaching Alison's bedroom. She opened the door and shoved him inside before following. Jake collapsed on the bed as she flipped the light on. They both squinted and shielded their eyes at its intensity.

"Ooh! Ow!" exclaimed Jake. Alison took her shirt off and replaced it with a fuzzy V neck sweater while Jake continued to mumble about the light being too bright. She pulled her jeans off and put on a pair of Soffe shorts instead. She was much too exhausted to wash the makeup from her face, so she sauntered up to Jake and took his shoes and jeans off.

"It's time to sleep!" Alison informed him, pushing him towards the left side of the bed. He obediently got underneath the covers as she turned out the light and climbed into the bed with him. She lay on her side facing away from him. Jake didn't appreciate this.

"Are you mad at me?" she heard him ask as she shut her eyes.

"No," replied Alison, "It's time to sleep."

"Then look at me!" said Jake brashly. To make him shut up, Alison rolled over onto her other side so that they faced one another. Jake snuggled close to her and wrapped his arms around her. Just as Alison felt herself falling into slumber, Jake forced her onto her back and slid himself on top of her. She exclaimed at the suddenness of his movement, but he silenced her by pressing his lips to hers. Alison could taste the alcohol on them, but that was all she could remember before blacking out.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! Thank you for reading and reviewing! More drama to come in the next chapter!  
**


	3. Signs

**Claimer: I own this entire story and all of its characters!**

**Enjoy, my readers!  
**

* * *

Later that week on Thursday morning, Alison's alarm went off at its usual time, 6 AM. She pressed the 'snooze' button, rolled onto her back, and rubbed the crusty sand out of her eyes. Ever since Joey's party, Alison had been feeling sick to her stomach, but regardless she forced herself to go to school so that it wasn't obvious to her friends that she had gotten drunk. Meanwhile, Jake had missed school on both Monday and Tuesday and then finally recovered. This puzzled Alison, for she knew for a fact that she had not nearly had as much to drink as Jake had at the party.

As she sat up, sudden and unexpected pain surged through Alison's breasts.

"Ow! Jeeze…" she exclaimed, automatically putting a hand to them. Even the contact of her fingers caused them to ache. She frowned and guessed they were only growing pains before slowly getting out of her bed to prepare herself for school.

* * *

An hour and forty five minutes later, Jake and Alison walked into the school hand in hand. Underneath her heavy coat, Alison was wearing a black, skintight turtleneck shirt. It stopped about an inch above her dark, destroyed low-rise jeans. She was also wearing a pair of short heeled boots on her feet. Over her shoulder was her usual gray satchel bag. Her hair was as straight as a board and she liked the way it fell down her back. In her ears were her hoop earrings and a few rings occupied her fingers. As not to overwhelm her outfit, Alison had only put a bit of makeup on. Meanwhile, Jake was dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a pair of boots.

When the couple reached the end of the hallway, they exchanged a quick kiss.

"See you in a bit," Jake smiled at her as he started towards his locker. Alison waved and turned in the other direction to do the same. Her girlfriends were all there, chatting amongst themselves.

"Hey!" they greeted her in chorus once she reached them. All of them had their books and supplies for class.

"Hey," replied Alison with a slight smile. She took her coat off and then spun the dial on her locker.

"Why so quiet?" Riley asked her after a brief silence.

"Is something bothering you, Ali?" Britney followed.

"I'm fine," replied Alison as she opened the locker door. "My boobs kinda hurt today for some reason…"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that!" said Britney sympathetically.

"Do you think they're just growing pains?" asked Erika in a concerned voice.

"Yeah," answered Alison embarrassedly.

"Alright," murmured Britney, gently stroking Alison's shoulder. "Well, we'll see you in homeroom!"

"Bye!" Alison gave them a little wave before turning back to her locker. She pulled her Spanish textbook and notebook out of the locker and just as she was stuffing them into her bag, she felt a tap her on the shoulder. Alison immediately turned around.

A smiling girl around Alison's age stood before her. She had dark, curly hair that touched her shoulders and big, matching eyes. She was fidgeting with her fingers in a bashful way. Like Alison, her heart shaped face only had a bit of makeup on it. The girl was quite petite, but she had a curved waist. She was wearing a white, moderate scoop sweater, blue jeans, and a pair of snow boots. There was a silver cross necklace hanging around her neck and a heavy looking backpack was slung over her shoulder.

"Hi," said the girl quietly. Her voice was very kind, but sounded rather nervous.

"My name is Rachael Gilmore," she continued without breaking eye contact with Alison. "We're in some of the same classes."

"It's nice to meet you," said Alison. "I'm Alison Former."

"Do you live in the neighborhood, Rams Gate?" asked Rachael inquiringly.

"Yeah," nodded Alison as her brow began to crease, "Why?"

"I live three houses down from you on the right," stated Rachael.

"Oh, cool," said Alison, trying to sound interested. "I didn't know that."

"I saw you drive back to your house from the party down the street last Sunday morning," said Rachael somberly.

"Oh, um, okay," said Alison as she closed her locker.

"And didn't you have someone with you?" Rachael went on in the same inquisitive voice.

"Yeah, my boyfriend, Jake Reeves," replied Alison with a slight nod of her head. She crossed her arms in front of her, causing pain to surge through her breasts.

"I'm sorry if that was a little random," said Rachael, finally looking down at her feet, "but I've noticed that you seem a little different since that night."

"How so?" asked Alison curiously.

"You seem tired and rather ill…" said Rachael directly.

"Yeah, I am," said Alison. She shifted her weight over, once again making her breasts ache. Her face contorted at the feeling and one of her hands jumped to them. Rachael automatically caught this.

"Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

"It's nothing," replied Alison curtly, adjusting the strap of the bag on her shoulder. "I need to get to homeroom…"

"Me too," said Rachael. Alison turned without another word and started towards the stairs. Much to her irritation, Rachael followed suit and walked alongside her.

"I'm sorry if I'm annoying you with my questions," said Rachael sincerely as they climbed the stairs. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine!" said Alison concisely. "I just don't feel all that well!"

"Alright," Rachael said in a low voice before Alison quickened her pace and left the girl behind.

* * *

"When two values go together in a pair, we call it an _ordered_ pair," stated Mr. Hartman, the Algebra teacher, "and the rule that defines the relationship between the two values is called a relation. The first value in the ordered pair is the independent quantity and the second value is called the dependent quantity." Alison, her girls, and all the other freshman students were sitting in the classroom together, reading their textbooks along with Mr. Hartman. Alison was having a difficult time paying attention to the lesson. Behind her, she could practically feel Rachael's eyes glancing up at her every few seconds. To make matters worse, Alison's stomach was feeling worse than it had all week.

"The first value in the ordered pair is the independent quantity and the second value is called the dependent quantity," continued Mr. Hartman. He faced the board behind him, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing everything down.

"Suppose we have a group of 6 people and the color shirts they are wearing," Alison felt her throat was tighten up and her stomach lurching slightly. She quickly shot her hand up into the air, knowing that she only had a matter of time before her cereal resurfaced from inside her.

"We are determining – Yes, Alison?" asked Mr. Hartman upon seeing her hand.

"Can I please use the restroom?" Alison hurriedly choked out.

"Of course," nodded Mr. Hartman.

"Thank you," Alison quickly got to her feet and fled from the classroom. With her hand over her mouth, she ran down the empty hall towards the nearest bathrooms. Once she reached them, Alison pushed the girls' door open and ran into the nearest stall. As she knelt down in front of the toilet and held her hair back from her face, her stomach lurched fiercely and she threw her breakfast up into the bowl.

A minute later, Alison finally stopped puking. Panting despairingly, she pushed the toilet's lever before leaning against the stall's wall. The aftertaste in her mouth was absolutely revolting.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" Alison asked herself miserably. For a little while, she sat there in deep thought, trying to figure out what was causing her illness. She meditated on Saturday night and everything she had done. She knew that she had only had around four beers that night and no more. Maybe she had drunk out of somebody else's cup by accident and the original owner had been ill? Alison didn't remember doing so… She continued to ponder upon the night and recalled that she had driven Jake's car back to her house. Falling deeper into thought, she vaguely remembered getting ready for bed and nothing more. The next thing she had known was waking up at 3 in the afternoon with Jake on the other side of her bed.

Alison's train of thought came to a complete stop. She sat up straight and her eyes widened slightly as she turned over everything in her mind. Did she and Jake have unprotected sex last Saturday night after she passed out? It certainly was a possibility, seeing as neither she nor Jake remembered.

Then she gasped as another thought hit her like a soaring baseball. Her heart began pounding against her ribs and a freezing chill surged throughout her body.

_Could she be pregnant?_

Alison carefully thought everything through. There was a definite possibility that she and Jake had had unprotected sex last Saturday night. What if the birth control pill she was on had not worked properly? She was also having early signs of pregnancy. She had been feeling tired and sick all week, her breasts had begun hurting, and she had just now thrown up…

"Oh no!" cried Alison, burying her swimming head into her hands. If she was pregnant, her friends would soon find out that she had abused their vows. What about Hayden and Vincent? They would surely kick her out of the house. And how would Jake react if he found out that he was a father? What if he left her?

Alison finally calmed down after a few minutes. She realized there was still hope for her because she had no verification that she was pregnant… She slowly pulled herself to her feet and left the stall. Her stomach felt a little better, but her breasts continued to ache as she quickly washed her hands. Alison exited the bathroom after drying them and walked back to Mr. Hartman's classroom. Upon entering, everyone's anxious eyes automatically jumped upon her.

"Are you feeling alright, Alison?" Mr. Hartman asked her in a concerned voice.

"No…" she replied. "I-I think I should just head home."

"Alright," said Mr. Hartman, "You are excused." Alison nodded appreciatively before walking towards her desk to gather her things. She kept her head down and ignored everyone's stares. Once she finished stuffing everything back into her bag, she quickly left the classroom.

After returning her books to her locker, Alison put her coat on, popped a stick of gum into her mouth, and exited the quiet school. Tiny snowflakes were gracefully falling from the overcast sky as she walked across the white school grounds. She hardly noticed that she was the only person outside, seeing as her mind had thousands of worries bouncing around inside. Alison reached the sidewalk and strolled along the path towards downtown.

* * *

In twenty minutes, Alison arrived at CVS, the nearest drug store. She swallowed as the automatic doors opened before her.

"Hi! Welcome to CVS!" said a cashier at the counter when Alison entered the building. She nodded at him and then slowly started towards the aisles. She wasn't sure where to go, so she paced each isle with her arms crossed tensely in front of her until she found what she was looking for: early pregnancy tests…

Alison nervously looked up and down the aisle and swallowed the painful lump in her throat. She stared at the many boxes in front of her before picking one out and examining it. It was a $12.00 test and looked fairly simple to use. Alison sighed and fought back her fearful tears as she walked to the counter. She kept her eyes down as she approached a female cashier and handed the box to her. The girl scanned it in and Alison gave her fifteen dollars from her bag. Once the cashier returned the test to Alison, along with her change and receipt, Alison stuffed the items into her bag.

"I hope everything works out for you…" the cashier spoke softly to her. Alison nodded in reply before turning on her heel and embarrassedly leaving the store. The snow was still steadily falling from the sky as Alison hailed down a passing taxi. It screeched to a halt right in front of her and Alison climbed inside at once. She was the only passenger, other than the driver up front. It was a young man in his twenties. He was dressed in a warm coat and a newsboy cap that covered most of his dark curls. His matching eyes were observing Alison in the rearview mirror. A little bracelet with a cross hung from it.

"Where to?" asked the driver. Alison gave him her address and a minute later he found it on his GPS. Then he started driving straight down the road. Meanwhile, Alison stared out the window and continued to fight her fears. _I don't have any proof yet…I don't have any proof yet_, she repeated to herself decisively.

"I'm sorry for prying," the driver struck up a conversation after a minute of silence, "but shouldn't you be at school?" Why was _everyone_ pestering her with questions today? Alison looked into the rearview mirror where his dark eyes were watching her every move.

"I'm not feeling well today," she replied shortly.

"And that's why you got something from the drugstore?" he went on. Alison nodded and continued to stare out the window, lost in her worry.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the cab finally arrived in front of Alison's house. She quickly paid the driver for the ride and got out of the cab without a word. Her boots left tracks in the snow as she crossed through her white yard. She reached the porch and started searching for her house key in her bag. Once she found it, she unlocked the door and entered the silent house. Alison climbed the stairs to her bathroom and placed her bag on the counter before going into her room and changing into more comfortable clothes (a white T-shirt, a pair of long, fuzzy pants, and her slippers).

She went back into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Then she opened her bag and removed the pregnancy test from it. She heaved a nervous sigh before opening the box and pulling the instructions out of it. Alison read them as calmly as she could, but her hands were trembling so badly, it was hard to make anything out. Her forehead was clammy with sweat and her stomach was beginning to feel sick again as she opened the plastic bag containing a little plastic cup and a test strip.

* * *

Alison placed the filled cup back onto the counter as carefully as she could. Her hands shook with fear as she picked the test strip up, immersed it in the cup, and slowly counted to three in her mind. Then she removed it and set it on the counter.

Alison slid down to the cold floor and hugged her knees to her chest, ignoring the pain that surged through her breasts. She took deep breaths as she watched the clock on her cell phone. _Please be negative…please be negative…please…_ Suddenly, her throat began to tighten painfully and her stomach lurched. Alison automatically lunged for the toilet and threw up the rest of her breakfast.

Once she stopped puking, she flushed the toilet and wiped the residue from the corners of her mouth. Then she took a look at her phone. 9:54. Three more minutes…

Alison continued to wait in silence on the floor. She only stared at her phone, trying, but failing miserably, to clear her mind of all worries. A tear rolled down each of her cheeks and finally dripped onto her pants. She looked at the glistening droplets and attempted to focus on how pretty they were in the light.

9:57. Alison swallowed and climbed back up onto the toilet seat. With trembling hands, she picked up the test strip and observed the result in the little window.

Tears rushed down her face as she gaped at the little cross... She was pregnant…

Alison broke down into irrepressible sobs as she sank to the floor. She leaned her throbbing head against the cabinet and cried into her hands. She felt like crawling underneath a rock and dying… She had betrayed her friends…and now she was paying for it…

Suddenly, a loud vibrating came from the floor. She gasped and hesitantly picked it up.

803-533-0967. It was the same person who had called her twice last Saturday. Alison opened the phone and put it to her ear.

"Leave me the hell alone!" she sobbed hysterically before ending the call and turning her phone off. She dropped the phone on the floor and sobbed uncontrollably into her knees.

* * *

**Oh no... What is Alison going to do? It has been confirmed and there's no going back now!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	4. Peace, My Child

**Claimer: I own this entire story and all of it's characters!**

**Let's find out what happens next! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Alison's sore eyes fluttered open early the next morning. She immediately noticed it was still dark outside and the clock on her nightstand read 4:35 AM. She was curled up into a little ball on her bed and she felt wide awake now, but her eyes stung and her head was throbbing. Then everything came back to her and she remembered why she had cried herself to sleep…

_Perhaps it had all just been a horrific nightmare? Maybe there was a chance it wasn't true? Could it be possible she wasn't pregnant at all?_

Alison looked down and felt her heart sink mournfully. She was still wearing her white T-shirt, fuzzy pants, and slippers: exactly what she had changed into yesterday after arriving home with the pregnancy test…that had read positive…

She sighed miserably and felt tears begin to form in her eyes once again. After wiping them away, she sat up with difficulty, seeing as her breasts still ached at her every move. She decided it would be best to watch some television to help get her mind off of everything and also to help the time pass until she had to get ready for school. Alison got out of her bed and turned on the light. As she slipped her kimono on, she jumped at her own reflection in the vanity mirror. Black mascara was smeared everywhere underneath her bloodshot eyes, making them look sunken. Her hair was no longer straight and quite tangled, but Alison hardly cared.

She then left her room and silently descended the stairs to the dark, chilly living room. She noticed it had stopped snowing outside as she tiptoed around the couch and turned the lamp on. Afterward, she took a seat on the couch, grabbed the remote off the table in front of her, and turned the television on. _America This Morning_ immediately came up on the screen. She turned the volume down really low, as to not wake Hayden and Vincent, who were sleeping in the master bedroom.

At first, Alison succeeded in ignoring her worries and grief, but when the show ended and she began looking through the channels for something else, the reality of everything began to overcome her. She couldn't find anything else to watch, so she turned the television off and moved over to the other couch underneath the closed windows. She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest as she stared through a crack between the blinds.

Alison started thinking about everything and what was the best thing to do now…

"_I can't keep this baby…_" Alison thought to herself mournfully."_I can't…There's no way. I'd probably get kicked out of the house… Jake and my girls will hate me if they ever found out I'm…pregnant… There's nothing I can do… I can't keep this baby… _" She rested her pounding head against the wall and felt fresh tears streaming down her face, realizing abortion was the only option she had.

But how could she kill an innocent baby? How could she steal its only chance at life for her own reasons?

"_I couldn't support this baby…and it doesn't deserve to be born into this…family…"_ Alison tearfully decided that after school, she would leave immediately and catch another cab. Then she would ride to the free women's clinic downtown and have everything taken care of. And her life would go back to normal…

* * *

Three hours later, Alison stepped off of the school bus along with all of the other students. Though the air was freezing, the weather had improved immensely from yesterday. Only a few white clouds lingered in the blue sky and the blinding sun was finally visible. There were still many patches of untouched snow on the grounds.

Alison had taken a shower earlier that morning and now felt much better. Her breasts were still very achy, but, thankfully, she did not feel at all nauseous. She was wearing her pea coat, a navy V-neck sweater, destroyed black jeans, and a pair of boots. She had a black messenger bag to carry her school books in. Her hair was very wavy since she had let it air-dry after her shower. Due to her nonstop crying, she had put on a lot of eye makeup to hide the redness and puffiness around her eyes.

Alison strolled across the grounds toward the doors of the school. She pulled one open and entered the building. Students were everywhere, chattering and getting ready for first period. Alison abstractedly walked down the hall, bumping into quite a few people without even realizing it. She reached the end of the hall and found all of her friends talking together at their lockers. She swallowed and fought back the tears of shame before slowly approaching them.

"Hey!" they all greeted her in anxious tones. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," lied Alison, keeping her eyes down.

"We tried calling you, like, five times yesterday," mentioned Britney.

"Um…yeah, my phone died and I can't find the charger anywhere," Alison lied again.

"Oh, okay. We're gonna head to homeroom now. See you there!"

"Okay," said Alison in a small voice. She sighed, turned to her locker, and started spinning the dial.

"Hey!" another concerned and familiar voice said from behind her. Alison jumped and turned around to face Jake. He was dressed in a plain black long-sleeved shirt, destroyed jeans that both he and Alison had doodled all over, and checked Vans shoes.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly. "The girls told me you were sick or something yesterday morning. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer."

"Yeah, I-I'm better," she said, avoiding his eyes and self-consciously crossing her arms in front of her, "a-and my phone is dead."

"Okay," he sighed as he tucked a random strand of hair behind her ear. His hand moved down and cupped the side of her face.

"I was worried about you…" he said quietly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Alison nodded, but still couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.

"So…" Jake lowered his voice and a smile stretched across his face. "It's Friday. Got any plans?"

"Um…" hesitated Alison. "I-I'm not really in the mood…and I still feel kinda crappy."

"Oh, alright," said Jake understandably. "I gotcha. Well, I'm going to get my books and head to homeroom. See you at break, okay?" Alison nodded and finally looked up at him. He kissed her forehead tenderly before taking off for his locker.

Alison stood there in both silence and guilt for a few seconds… Jake had absolutely no idea of the situation she was in now… A single tear escaped from her eye. She felt it trickling down her face and immediately faced her locker to hide it. Alison opened the door and sighed deeply as she removed her Spanish books from it. Just as she stuffed them into her bag, she was suddenly overcome with nausea.

Alison immediately slammed her locker shut and fled down the hall to the girls' restroom. To her relief, no one else was inside. She ran into the nearest stall and threw her breakfast up into the toilet.

Once she finally stopped puking, Alison sat against the wall and closed her eyes as the tears began to flow once again. She groaned in frustration and repeatedly banged her head against the wall.

"_Why_?" she asked herself aloud. "Why _me_?" Just then, the bell rang and she could hear the students outside as they all rushed to their classes.

After a minute, the nausea wore off and Alison warily got to her feet. She sighed as she left the stall and began washing her hands at one of the sinks.

Alison jumped at the unexpected sound of a stall door opening behind her. She glanced up at the mirror to see who it was, but automatically diverted her eyes and pretended she hadn't looked.

It was Rachael, the girl who had been pestering her yesterday morning. Today she was wearing a red turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, her snow boots, and the same silver cross necklace. She watched Alison in silence with a look of anxiety on her face. Meanwhile, Alison ignored her presence and hoped she wouldn't ask any questions.

"Hi," said Rachael softly, her voice full with angst. "Are-are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Alison stiffly, rolling her eyes as she began drying her hands with a paper towel. She sniffed her nose and sighed, trying to rid of any evidence of tears.

"You sure?" continued Rachael, taking a slow step forward. "I mean, you threw up yesterday morning and just did it now…"

"I'm late for homeroom," Alison replied shortly, adjusting the strap of the bag on her shoulder as she started towards the door.

"Please wait!" called Rachael hastily. Alison halted in her tracks and faced the girl in irritation.

"What?" she snapped at her. "What do you want?" Rachael seemed very taken aback and intimidated at Alison's sudden outburst, but she immediately locked eyes with Alison.

"C-can I ask you something?" Rachael stuttered nervously.

"You just did…" retorted Alison, narrowing her eyes before turning back to the door.

"Are you…pregnant?" asked Rachael's quiet and pained voice. Alison gasped and froze as the devastating truth overcame her again. She crossed her arms in front of her and the tears began to well up in her eyes. She slowly faced Rachael again with pursed lips. After a long pause, Alison sighed miserably and realized she couldn't deny the truth.

"Yeah…" Alison finally replied in a whisper. "I am…" Rachael gasped mournfully and finally looked down at the floor, turning everything over in her mind. The girls stood in silence for a few seconds. Alison sniffed and carefully wiped the tears from her eyes, as to not to smudge her makeup.

"Jake's the father?" Rachael finally asked in an equally quiet tone. Alison nodded guiltily.

"Don't you _dare_ tell him…" she demanded in a harsh, broken voice. "Don't tell _anyone_…" Rachael instantly looked back up at Alison's words.

"Alison, I would _never_ do something like that," replied Rachael sincerely.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway! I'm going to…take care of it after school." Rachael's eyes filled with sorrowful tears at her words, but she locked them with Alison's.

"Please…don't abort, Alison," pleaded Rachael in a soft voice. Alison looked away and sniffed sadly.

"Please…" Rachael went on desperately. "Just come to my house after school and we can talk about this!"

"How could I raise a…a baby at the age of fourteen?" replied Alison sharply through her tears. "I couldn't, not in my circumstances! This child will be better off not living than with a mother who couldn't even support it!" She wiped the flowing tears away while Rachael stared back in grief.

"You will be never alone…" Rachael stated in a gentle whisper. "God will always be by your side…" Confused, Alison overlooked the comment.

"It's my choice! And my only option!" she uttered firmly before rushing from the bathroom and leaving Rachael in her tears of depression.

* * *

The moment the wall clock in Mr. Carlson's social studies classroom struck 3:00, the bell rang out across the entire school. Alison, who had already collected her books, immediately got up and left the classroom before anyone else had the chance to put the first thing in their bags. She rushed down the hall and descended the stairs, hoping not to meet up with Jake on the way. She reached her locker, opened it, returned her books to the shelf, and put her coat on, all the while trying not to think about where she was going in a matter of minutes…

As soon as she shut her locker, Alison took off down the hall towards the doors.

"Ali!" many anxious and familiar voices called her name all at once. She halted in her tracks and turned on her heel to face Britney, Riley, and Erika, who were hurrying after her.

"Hey! Where are you going?" they asked her curiously.

"Um…" said Alison, not daring to look into their anxious faces. "My mom needs me home today. I think she wants me to do some cleaning or something." She knew it was a lame excuse, but the girls bought it, just like all of the other lies Alison had ever told them.

"Oh, okay," they replied. "Well, we'll see you Monday, then!"

"Find your phone charger!" added Britney as Alison started walking to the doors again.

She pulled it open and exited the school just in time. The tears began streaming down her face as she marched across the empty school grounds. The sun was still shining and most of the snow on the ground had melted away, but the air was still dreadfully chilly.

Alison couldn't believe she was actually going to do this… It was the absolute last thing on Earth that she had ever wanted to do, next to telling her boyfriend and best friends that she was pregnant… Her heart felt heavier with remorse at every step she took and she had to repeatedly convince herself that it was all for the best…

She strolled down the sidewalk until a cab came into view. She immediately hailed it down and climbed inside. Unfamiliar music from the radio immediately reached her ears. Like yesterday, she was the only passenger, other than the driver in the front. Alison glanced up at him and froze in surprise: it was the same man who had driven her from the drugstore yesterday morning!

"Well, hello there, miss," he said with a small smile upon recognizing her. "Where do you need to get to this afternoon?" He watched her in his rearview mirror while she buckled her seatbelt and sniffed her nose miserably.

"The free women's clinic, please…" she croaked as fresh tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. The man's smile fell from his face at her words. He sat in silence for a few seconds and seemed to turn everything over in his mind. Finally he sighed in grief and began to drive down the road.

"So that's what you were doing at the drugstore yesterday, huh?" he asked her in a soft voice. Alison nodded as she wiped her tears and sighed mournfully. The song on the radio came to an end and another followed right behind it. The short but pretty introduction only consisted of a piano and immediately caught Alison's attention.

"She walked into the center…" a woman's gentle voice sang along to the piano, "not knowing where to go. Her heart was heavy-burdened, hoping not to show. The warmth was such a comfort from the blistering of the cold. Her eyes filled with tears as she read the words in bold." Alison was confused at these lyrics. What exactly was this song about?

"Peace, my child," the woman started the chorus. "Be not afraid. I've known you all your life, forever I've known your name." She stared out the window and listened intently to the lyrics and the beautiful rhythm of the piano.

"A kind and gentle woman softly called her name, then guided her into a room, a room that shuttered shame. She broke down with emotion, laid her heart out on the floor. The woman looked into her eyes and said, 'don't abort'." As the chorus started again, Alison remembered this morning when she and Rachael had talked in the restroom and realized the song was identical to the situation. She remembered Rachael's exact words, 'don't abort'.

"Let's bow our heads and say a prayer, asking God to guide us where the angels here on Earth will come to bring us comfort, bring us love." Alison wiped her tears and sniffed somberly while the driver continued to glance at her with concern.

"The young girl gained composure and asked now for advice. 'How can I go on from here? How can I live this life?'" Alison couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had asked Rachael the exact same thing in the bathroom. She sighed in distress and continued to listen to the song.

"The kind and gentle woman, maybe an angel in disguise, said, 'You're never alone, my dear. God's by your side.'" Alison gasped in disbelief. That had been Rachael's last reply before Alison left for homeroom.

"Peace, my child. Be not afraid. I've known you all your life, forever I've known your name." The song came to an end and tears were streaming down Alison's face. She stared out the window, too overwhelmed to think. All she could comprehend at the moment was that she couldn't go through with this… She now knew that abortion was not the answer for her…

"Wait…stop," Alison ordered the driver. He immediately obeyed and continued to watch her in the rearview mirror.

"I can't…" Alison sobbed despondently. "Please just…just take me back to my house…" The driver nodded and began driving down the road again. Alison closed her eyes and allowed the tears to flow down her face. She was all alone and had no idea what to do now… But somewhere, deep in her heart, she could feel a low flame of peace…

* * *

**Alison has made her choice...not to abort! But what is she going to do now if abortion is out of the question? What of Jake and her friends? They are going find out sooner or later...and what happens then?  
**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Stay tuned for more!**


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